


Cursed Spirits

by turtlesages



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Battle, Historical Fantasy, Minor Character Death, Witch Curses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:47:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29025954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turtlesages/pseuds/turtlesages
Summary: A traveler is forced to stop his quest during a terrible storm and finds shelter in the house of a mysterious being with very peculiar pets.• In which Atsumu, Sakusa, Bokuto and Hinata are the four cursed spirits of an ancient legend. Upon the arrival of the traveler, the only being left to tell their story believes the time has come.
Kudos: 1





	Cursed Spirits

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing and sharing a long-term story. I started it as a personal work, to better my writing style and reconnect with my love for writing. Hopefully you will enjoy this story as much as I love writing it! Also, I'm looking for a beta reader, so if you are interested please let me know through twitter: @turtlesages. With this being said, enjoy!

_He had green hair._ In the midst of the raging storm that made its way through the open door and the holes in the windows, covering every single piece of furniture in a thin, almost unnoticeable cloak of water, his eyes focused on the first color they could find, which was green. Nothing else was left to see, since those eyes too were covered in water. 

He felt the figure’s proximity linger in the air before he was guided to the inside of the house, the wooden floor creaking loudly with his every step and the walls seething a vague smell of old, mixed with something unusual. A loud noise let him know that the door had locked itself back closed, the rumbling from the thunder and the rain giving place to the purest of silences. 

It had dawned upon him that anyone generous enough to take a stranger in during a terrible storm would surely expect some kind of gratitude. Keeping this in mind, he turned around, blinking repeatedly in an attempt to shake off the droplets that still hung from his lashes, and gave a bow to the person that stood in the same room as himself. “You are very considerate. Thank you for offering me shelter.” 

Both of their clothes were soaking wet, and he momentarily felt guilty for having exposed the stranger to his same fate, allowing him to briefly take his place in the torment that was the day’s weather. Luckily enough, the stranger didn’t seem to mind. His gaze was kind under the long bangs that covered his eyes, of a light green tone, as if their intensity had faded with time. 

With a reciprocate bow, he gave one last look at the wind that scourged the windows, frowning slightly at the droplets that managed to enter through the holes. The cold light coming from the outside turned his face into something almost ethereal, and the sheltered could only feel himself pout as well, anxious to see someone so beautiful look so discouraged by something. 

“You are too kind.” The stranger said. “I apologize for the poor state of this house. It has been a long while since we last got visitors, and I…” The owner’s voice matched the displeasure in his eyes as he turned back to face his guest. “I simply couldn’t be bothered to change the windows for new ones.” 

His smile was sad, distant, though it only lasted a few seconds. Dusting off his long, delicate robes as if to shake off the water from his system, he slid to the main room and sat down on a huge couch, almost four times his size. Looking satisfied and comfortable, he gestured at the room with a vague hand motion. 

“Feel free to sit down. Although I would recommend taking a different couch, if you don’t mind.” The traveler, who stood now on the opposite side of the room with a lost gaze, nodded absently at his host’s words. He took this time to observe his surroundings more carefully, his eyes stopping at every portrait and every speck of dust. 

It was as if the owner really couldn’t be bothered to clean anything. Most of the wooden surfaces were covered in a thick layer of dust, even some of the chairs remained unused and partially occupied by long spiderwebs. There were two small windows on the same side of the room, with view to the forest whose trees had now been twisted in frightening shapes by the strength of the wind. 

He coughed after he accidentally walked too close to a coffee table and it’s dust got to his nose, almost knocking down the portraits that it held proudly over all the dirt. Those portraits were surprisingly pristine. They showed four faces, but something seemed off about all of them. He was so distracted he almost missed the host’s call for him. 

In all the while it had taken him to observe the room, his host hadn’t moved from his place. He seemed plenty comfortable on his huge couch, but his gaze was wary. “I apologize for not asking earlier. It would only be reasonable for me to ask for my guest’s name. And to introduce myself.” Before the traveler could stop him, the man had already stood up from his comfy seat and bowed politely. “I am often called Shide by those who know me. A pleasure to meet you.” 

“I’m Benjiro. I, uh, am thankful for your kindness.” The traveler bowed back and awkwardly found a seat in one of the smaller couches, which he had dusted off beforehand under Shide’s apologetic gaze. He wondered the reason behind his host’s need to take the main couch for myself. Although it was something he respected, being the visitor and nothing else, he couldn’t help but wonder. 

And so, eventually, he gathered the courage to ask him. Shide only laughed in response, vague amusement reflecting in his smile. Now that they were sitting in front of each other, Benjiro could see more clearly. His smile was blinding, no matter how small it was, and his teeth shone under the reflection of the moonlight.

“Oh, I hope you will forgive my selfishness.” Shide shifted gracefully in his own seat, his robes making a vague sound as they were dragged through the ground. “It is merely a precaution. They tend to get nervous around new smells, and this couch is the one they feel safe in.” His smile didn’t waver, but the calmness in his eyes gave way to something darker, almost feral. 

Benjiro felt suddenly horrified by it. A shiver ran down his spine, leaving his back humid and cold like the weather that raged outside. 

“...They?” He gulped.

“There is no need to worry, mister.” The fondness in his host’s voice was the only thing that kept Benjiro from running away, into the storm. That, and his curiosity. “Since there is an ongoing storm outside, they won’t want to leave their rooms. Storms are… one thing they dislike strongly. You are safe here.” He assured with a nod. 

Benjiro’s head was clouded with confusion. Not a single word made sense. His lips trembled in his attempt to ask him further about the matter, his words battling with his desire to let the conversation drop and pretend nothing had been said. But before he could choose either option, there was a loud, creaking noise coming from the stairs that led to the second floor. 

From where he was sitting, Benjiro got a clear look at the stairs, pitch black, as if all the light had been sucked out of the second floor, deeming it inhabitable. As if no human could possibly live there. 

He stood up. 

Shide’s eyes were too, focused on the sound. Although he didn’t rise from his seat, he lightly moved his bangs out of his face, hoping to see with more clarity. Once he did, however, his smile faltered, and his skin went pale. “Oh, goodness.” Shide muttered to himself, though Benjiro was close enough to hear him. “One of them is approaching.” After a brief pause, only interrupted by the creaking noise that increased with every second, Shide called for him. “Benjiro. Listen closely.” 

For once, Benjiro didn’t listen. For once, he strode out of the living room in a flash, passing by the root of the stairs on his way to the door. The creaking sound stopped abruptly, then resumed its pace with more strength. Shide’s voice was pleading in the background, but Benjiro could barely bring himself to hear him. “Benjiro, if you are scared you’ll attract him to yourself-” 

Something in the back of his head told him that whatever Shide was saying made a lot of sense. He gave up on the door lock momentarily, and stared at the host intently. The host, who had been living in that run-down house long enough to allow its furniture to cover itself in dust; the host, who knew of the creatures lurking on top of the stairs and did nothing to stop them; the host, the one person out of them two who’d probably be safe from the attacks. 

It was a no-brainer, since Benjiro didn’t give himself more time to think. He held out an arm and grabbed hold of Shide, who stood behind him moments ago trying to reason with him, and captured him in a chokehold. Shide let out a soft yelp, but stood still. Some droplets of water hit his face, falling sideways from the broken window into the house, and Benjiro steadied himself, his back to the door, his front with a human shield, waiting for the creature. 

If it had been a matter of life and death he wouldn’t have been afraid to use his host as a sacrifice to buy himself some time, but since he didn’t know what to expect, he didn’t know how far he was willing to go either. And so he stood there, his agitated breaths crashing against Shide’s nape, now covered in sweat, and waited. 

When the darkness at the bottom of the stairs growled, Benjiro felt his legs wobble under his own weight. A tap on his forearm made him tighten his hold on Shide, only before he realized it had been Shide’s hand purposely calling for his attention. “Benjiro,” the host started. His voice sounded hoarse and faint, and Benjiro almost regretted not loosening his grip on him. 

“Everything is alright. If you let me go now, I’ll explain.” Shide’s body was stiff, his shoulders tense, but his voice held no trace of threat. However, Benjiro couldn’t just believe that. “Please.” Shide tried again, and this time he listened. 

Benjiro let go of him and retreated until his back hit the door while Shide fell to his knees, rubbing his neck in a desperate attempt to get air to his lungs. That split second was all it took for the figure that roamed the stairs to come racing down towards Benjiro, fangs exposed with the clearest intention to rip him apart. 

Benjiro could only stare in awe and horror at the creature that would cause his death; with dark, thick fur and angry black eyes, it was undoubtedly the biggest wolf he’d ever seen. One of its ears held a long scar, but the fact that he had been close enough to the creature to make out the scar on its face only meant that he had run out of time. Beautiful or not, that wolf would kill him. 

Before the monster could reach him, Shide waved his arms in front of it, wildly, as if he were waving to a ship that had recently left the port. “Stop right there. This… this is our guest.” His words took some time coming out, given that he was still lacking air, but they came out regardless. To the traveler’s surprise, the wolf didn’t stomp on Shide or jump over him to get to him. It actually stopped dead on tracks, snapping at the air in what he identified as deep annoyance. 

“It wants to eat me.” Benjiro muttered, mortified, as his legs finally gave up and he slid down to the floor, his back still against the door. Shide grimaced softly before his eyes went back to the big, black wolf. “You have certainly angered him.” He agreed. “But that is something we can fix.” 

Shide extended his hand to the wolf, who flattened his ears before giving it an uninterested sniff. The wolf seemed to observe him, and was visibly appeased after he concluded no real harm had come to him. Although it didn’t come any closer to either Shide or Benjiro, his eyes seemed to burn into the traveler’s skull. 

“See, Sakusa.” A smile appeared on Shide’s lips, one that, Benjiro suspected, was only there to ensure the calm response of the other. “Everything is alright. He merely got scared for a moment, but that doesn’t make him any less of a guest.” The wolf, _Sakusa,_ didn’t show any signs of having heard him, but after a few seconds he retreated to the stairs and disappeared in the darkness, the croaking of wood under his paws being the only tell that he was ever there. Benjiro was more than relieved to see him leave, but Shide seemed bothered by something. With a forced smile, he began to walk his way to the living room. 

“Would you mind joining me for tea, sir? Properly this time.” The tense look in his eyes held one message. _No running_. And since he had very likely saved his life twice in less than an hour, Benjiro could only accept the offer. They reclaimed their previous seats and Shide walked over to the fireplace, retrieving a small cage with different tea flavors in it. He remained silent all the while. Eventually, it was the host who broke the silence. 

“I suppose I owe you an explanation. I understand that this is not something you may see every day. My companions are, uh, unusual to say the least, but I can promise you they don’t mean any harm.” 

Benjiro scrunched up his nose. He could very easily recall the wolf, Sakusa, trying to eat him. Shide seemed to understand his expression, and offered an apologetic smile. “Oh, he would never have eaten you. He is a picky eater, and barely eats the food I give him.” 

Noticing this detail didn’t make the situation any better, he added. “ He was simply worried for my safety, given that you found it in yourself to take me as a hostage of sorts in order to prevent yourself from being devoured. Which is understandable, but still.” Benjiro scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed. 

“Yeah, sorry about that.”

“All is forgiven.” Satisfied with his answer and finished preparing the tea, Shide sat down on the giant couch with a sigh. “Everything will be fine, as long as you do not panic once they come downstairs to see you.” Benjiro had begun to stir his drink, but abruptly dropped the tea spoon, his hand retreating as if it were on fire. His wide eyes followed Shide’s lips, now unmoving, and left him wondering if he had heard wrong.

“I’m sorry. Once they do what?” Shide’s slight frown told him he wasn’t mistaken, and almost as if on cue, more noises started coming from the wooden stairs. This time it didn’t sound like before. The steps were now followed by loud howls and growls, enough to make a grown man leave the house in a panicked frenzy. 

Those sounds didn’t come from one single wolf; it was clear that the creature had returned with friends. Benjiro began to stand up, his legs tense as if they were ready to follow his mind and run for his life, but Shide stopped him with a glance.

“They must be truly curious about you.” From the way Shide’s cheerful voice trembled, Benjiro could see that even the host was losing his own conviction. “Otherwise they would never leave their rooms during a storm.” As if on cue, a particularly loud thunder resonated outside, bathing the windows in a blinding light and making the door shake with its power. 

Not even two seconds later, the sound of steps came to a halt, and a soft whimper came from upstairs. Thinking that their fear could be enough to keep the creatures away for a bit longer made Benjiro’s heart at ease, but his expression only earned him a sigh from his host. “I believe it’s better this way.” Shide muttered, and sunk into the couch. 

“The danger levels are never that high when they don’t get physically close to a possible misfortunate soul.” Although he couldn’t quite understand what Shide was saying, Benjiro understood one thing; the storm, which was what caused him to be taking refuge there in the first place, was also the one keeping him safe from whatever inhabited the upper floor. He shifted in his seat, making himself comfortable. 

Another thunder broke the silence that had been created. The light coming from the windows fell upon the same portraits he had seen before. Those pristine, beautiful portraits with shapes of gold and silver that clashed against everything else in the house, ancient, and about to break down into pieces. Benjiro didn’t dare to move, too focused on the small particles of dust that now surrounded the portraits, dancing in the air. 

Eventually, he picked one up. Three smiling faces and a serious one stared back at him, all with glowing eyes of an odd color. It was hard to tell at first; the moonlight seemed fixated in blinding him. But after Benjiro got accustomed to the light, he could see the intense eyes… and a glimpse of fangs in some of the figures. He held back a gasp, although it did little to whelve how horrified he felt. 

“These people…” he trailed off, incapable of finding the right words to describe his thoughts. “Is there something wrong with them? They seem… they aren’t normal. No, there is definitely something wrong with all of them.” Shide stood up in one single move, his long robes rustling against the floor. At that moment Benjiro regretted having spoken; Shide had his lips pressed into a thin line, and there was a new crease in his brow that gave him a dark, menacing appearance. 

But as soon as the frown came, it left, and the host went back to oozing that calmness and confidence, leaving Benjiro to think he had merely imagined it all. “They were once people, like you and me.” Shide’s voice was soft, too soft, and the traveler had to try his best to hear it under the persistent thunder outside. “There was nothing wrong with them, misfortune merely had set their eyes on them from the very beginning. Their end was more heartbreaking than any other, and yet...” with a deep inhale, Shide took the portrait from Benjiro’s hands and held it gently. The next time his eyes reached his guest, the host held determination in his stare. 

“I believe we have time, until the storm ceases.” Shide spoke, briefly looking through the window, to the bent trees and the rain that only got stronger with each second that passed. “If you are willing to listen to their story, there is no one left other than me to tell you it.” His voice wavered in an unspoken hesitation, before he added. “Just promise me you won’t judge them for their misfortune, nor pity them in the end.” 

_An odd promise to make,_ Benjiro thought. But he nodded regardless. “I promise.” 

With visible relief, Shide sat back down. He glanced at the tea, which had already cooled down. He gave a look to the remaining portraits that laid on the coffee table, covered by dust. And, finally, he looked down at the one with the four faces, tangled between his fingers and resting on his lap, and pressed it softly against his chest. It was barely a movement, but Benjiro noticed. 

“It all started more than a thousand years ago.” Shide began. “Back then were-creatures were being hunted down, and the four distinguished clans faced an imminent war.”


End file.
